T-Mobile Selling Off Rights to 7,200 Cell Towers

T-Mobile USA today announced that it plans to sell the rights to approximately 7,200 of its cell towers to Crown Castle International for a total of $2.4 billion. Once the transfer is completed, Crown Castle will have legal control over the towers, which means it will be responsible for operating them. Crown Castle will have the option to purchase the towers outright at the end of the 28-year leasing period for an additional $2.4 billion. Crown Castle operates 83% of the cell towers in top 100 markets and 72% of the cell towers in top 50 markets. The companies expect the transaction to close during the fourth quarter of the year. By leasing the rights to its cell towers, T-Mobile USA says it will be left with more focus and more capital to fund its network modernization efforts.